GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Tuition will rise 2.9 percent at Grand Rapids Community College next fall.

The GRCC Board of Trustees unanimously approved the increase Monday evening, saying that although the higher prices may be difficult for some students to absorb, the two-year college remains an affordable option.

“Our costs are still a small fraction when compared to the four-year institutions in the area,” said Trustee Richard Ryskamp.

The increase brings in-district tuition to $106 per contact hour, up $3 from the current rate. GRCC’s district mirrors that of the Kent Intermediate School District. About three-quarters of GRCC's student body come from within its district.

Lisa Freiburger, vice president for finance and administration, said the college strives to keep tuition increases to a minimum, but certain costs continue to rise regardless of efficiencies put in place.

“We have costs that will increase every year,” she said. “Costs of salaries, benefits, of insurance, of utilities, of rent, and other things that we can’t necessarily control.”

How the increase affects students largely depends on the amount of financial aid they receive.

The maximum Pell Grant for the 2014-15 school year is projected to amount to $5,730. That’s more than GRCC’s projected annual cost of attendance of $3,639 for in-district students.

Although a large portion of GRCC students are eligible for the maximum Pell Grant, some students receive only a portion of the Pell Grant. Others don’t receive any at all. Those students will have to find a way to cover the increased cost of tuition themselves or through scholarships.

Also, non-resident students who are eligible for the maximum Pell Grant wouldn’t have enough to cover GRCC’s total cost of attendance. They would be short $1,569, according to figures compiled by GRCC.

Pell Grants are awarded to students based on financial need.

Freiburger said GRCC recognizes it’s the college’s responsibility to “do everything we can to minimize any impact to students.”

But, she added: “With that being said, we’re still a very affordable option, whether you’re an in-district or out-of-district student. We provide an excellent educational opportunity.”

Since the 2009-10 school year, GRCC's resident tuition rate has climbed by 25 percent.

GRCC’s seven-member Board of Trustees unanimously supported the increase. The trustees said it’s difficult to ask students to shell out more dollars for their education, but such an increase is necessary to keep the college on sound footing.

Trustee Richard Stewart praised the cost-cutting measures implemented by GRCC in recent years, but he also questioned whether the college could continue the practice of raising tuition at a time when enrollment has dropped.

“We’re still caught in this irreconcilable crunch of having to charge fewer people higher tuition dollars,” he said. “We’re going to have to sometime look the bull squarely in the eye.”

GRCC’s enrollment dropped 7.5 percent this semester, and administrators on Monday said more reductions are on the horizon. Factors such as shrinking high school graduation class sizes and fewer dollars for retraining displaced workers are likely contributing to current or future enrollment declines.

While GRCC has, and will continue to, work to boost enrollment, freezing tuition is not realistic, said President Steven Ender.

“I don’t think I could ever recommend a flat tuition unless we saw some significant increases in property tax revenue or state revenue,” he said. “We have fixed expenses that are going to go up every year by 2 to 4 percent."

Brian McVicar covers education for MLive and The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at bmcvicar@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter